PATRICK DENNING, ONE OF

LINCOLN’S BODY GUARD, DEAD

 

Well Known Newark Resident Had Close Relations

With the War President.

 

Newark, Jan. 11. – The funeral of Patrick Edward Denning, one of the last survivors of the personal guard of President Lincoln, was held yesterday. Mr. Denning often told of his observations of the President and recalled that he had shaken hands with the head of the nation.

            Mr. Denning was born in Ireland on St. Patrick’s day, nearly seventy-four years ago and came to this country with his parents when he was 3 years old. The family settled in Boston and at the outbreak of the civil war, Mr. Denning was one of the first to enlist.

            As a soldier Mr. Denning had a splendid record. He served in Company G, Thirty-second Massachusetts Infantry, until wounded at the battle of Gettysburg. He was taken to Washington and, upon recovery, re-enlisted in Company E, Twenty-fourth Maryland Veteran Reserve corps, with which division he remained until honorably discharged at the close of the war. Before Gettysburg Mr. Denning was at Antietam, Fredericksburg, second battle of Bull Run, the Wilderness and Chattanooga.

            After re-enlisting Mr. Denning was one of Lincoln’s personal guards. He often enjoyed conversations with the great “emancipator.” In his later years he loved to describe Lincoln to those with whom he came in contact. He could remember shaking hands with Lincoln several times.

            Mr. Denning came to Newark from Washington, after the review of the Northern troops. In October, 1874, he married Margaret Murphy of Lyons. He entered the harness business, in which he was engaged for fifty years, until the death of his son, John Denning, a little more than a year ago. He was a charter member of the William B. Vosburg post, G.A.R.: a member of St. Michael’s Catholic church, a member of the Holy Name society of that church and of the C. B. L. of the Roman Catholic church. Three years ago, at the time of the fiftieth anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg, Mr. Denning was delegate from Vosburg post.

            He leaves his wife: a son, William Denning of Utica: three daughters, Mrs. Mary Mahoney and Misses Helen and Kathryn Denning of Newark: a granddaughter, Miss Anne Denning of Buffalo: a brother, John Denning of Boston, and two sisters, Mrs. Thomas Devaney of Medford, Mass., and Mrs. Katherine Grant of Lawrence, Mass.

 

From the Syracuse Herald newspaper, which was located in Syracuse, New York, January 11, 1916

 

C. B. L. Catholic Benevolent Legion was a fraternal assessment life-insurance society. The object of the Legion was, as stated in its constitution, to unite fraternally, for social, benevolent, and intellectual improvement, Catholic men.

 

G. A. R. Grand Army of the Republic

 

 

On July 2, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg, Patrick was shot in the left hip with the bullet exiting on his right side about mid back.

 

The article mentions that he was born on St. Patrick’s Day, however he stated in a sworn statement in his pension application of 1912 that he was born on March 16, 1841 in Dublin, Ireland.

 

This article does not mention his daughter, Anna R. Denning Maynard. She was alive at the time of this article.

 

Apparently his son John followed in his father’s footsteps, as Patrick had, and became a harness maker. The following ad appears in the July 27, 1914 issue of the Syracuse Herald.

 

 

 

Marker in Newark Main Street Cemetery

 

Patrick Denning was the husband of my great grandaunt. My 2^nd great grandmother, the mother of Patrick’s wife is buried with the Denning’s. He was the godfather of my grandfather’s oldest brother, Thomas Patrick Murphy.

 

 

His signature from his pension file.

 

I am interested in contacting anyone in Patrick’s family Email